TAX CENTER VOLUNTEERS

Tax season is coming soon and the USAG, Installation Legal Office is looking for VITA/TCE Certified Volunteers to process tax returns for our valued Service Members, Veteran's, and valid DoD ID card holders at the Tax Assistance Service Center (TASC). The TASC will operate 3FEB14 - 15APR14; Monday thru Friday from 0730-1630 hours.

All volunteers must first register at https://www.myarmyonesource.com If you require assistance with the process, please contact Ms. Yvette Davila or Ms. Maria Hernandez at Army Community Service at (787) 707-3365/3804.

After your register and are logged into the site, you must click on the "Volunteer Tools" tab. There will be 2 (two) OPEN positions available to choose from and apply for. The position titled "Volunteer Tax Assistor (VITA/TCE)" requires the following certifications:

1) 2013 Volunteer Standards of Conduct Training & Exam

2) 2013 Intake/Interview and Quality Review Training

3) 2013 Advanced Exam 4) 2013 PR Level I & II Exams

5) 2013 Military Exam

The position titled "TASC Greeters" ONLY have to complete the 2013 Volunteer Standards of Conduct Training & Exam.

The point of contact for the TASC will be SFC Maria Garcia at (787) 707-5159 at maria.d.garcia2.mil@mail.mil

All volunteers will receive Certificates of Apreciation, letters of appreciation, and/or Army Volunteer Corps recognition.

Claims Division

The Claims The Claims Division adjudicates personal claims for property damage incident to service filed by
Soldiers. We also receive, investigate, and adjudicate all claims filed against the United States
Army in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Additionally, we assert claims on behalf of the United
States against third parties responsible for damages and expenses incurred by the Federal Government.
We are located at 214 Brooke Street. We may be contacted at 787-707-5199 or via e-mail at:
Claims Division

General Information:

Congress has passed laws governing payment to you for losses as a result of your military service. Not all losses resulting from Army service are reimbursable. For example, a loss that is partly your fault is not reimbursable. Army judge advocates around the world process
claims under the supervision of the HYPERLINK: US Army Claims Service home page. Army Regulation (AR) 27‐ 20 covers the basic claims procedures.

You May Have A Claim Against the Government if:

Missing property is stolen from government quarters, from private quarters located outside
the United States, or from an authorized storage place. Warehouses, offices, hospitals,
baggage holding areas, and unit supply rooms are examples of authorized storage places.

Property in government quarters or storage is damaged or destroyed by fire, flood, hurricane,
theft, vandalism, or other unusual occurrences. Hail damage to an automobile parked on post
and damage caused to property in the barracks when a water pipe breaks are examples of
unusual occurrences.

Property, including privately owned vehicles, is lost, damaged, or destroyed while
transported or stored under government orders.

Property is lost, damaged, or destroyed as a direct result of enemy action, riots directed
against Americans overseas, soldiers giving first aid in a public disaster, and soldiers
saving human lives or government property.

Property is lost or damaged due to wrongful or negligent acts of Army agents.

The Claims Division processes three broad categories of claims:

1. Tort Claims ‐ Claims against the U.S. for personal injury, death, or property damage
caused by the negligence of military personnel acting in the scope of employment or occurring
incident to the noncombat operations of the armed services. These include claims under the
Military Claims Act, the Federal Tort Claims Act, the National Guard Claims Act, the Foreign
Claims Act, and a number of other claims statutes.

Documents required to support a traffic accident claim are:

Two (2) repair estimates, one of
which must be in Mitchell type computer generated format.

All auto repair estimates must include a deduction over auto parts to be replaced; if they do
not, a 10%‐20% will be deducted from parts estimate by Claims Attorney.

A settlement cannot exceed the vehicle’s appraised value as per Blue Book or other reasonable valuation method.
Ordinarily, parts that are routinely replaced (tires, shock absorbers, etc.) will be
depreciated IAW the Depreciation Guide.

It is generally faster for a claimant in a car accident claim to file a claim with his/her
insurance company and just claim reimbursement of deductable from us.
The Point of Contact (POC) for claims over $50,000 is Mr. Walter Parker at the U.S. Army
Claims Service, Fort Meade, MD at (301) 677‐9457.

2. Personnel Claims Act (PCA) ‐ Claims against the U.S. filed by soldiers, DA civilians, and
other military personnel for loss and damage of personal property occurring incident to
service.

These include claims for damage to household goods during a PCS move. For damage of
household goods (HHG) claim, Plan A should be filing through the Defense Personal Property
System (DPS) at http://www.move.mil/common/dps_login_registration_process/dps_registration.cfm
http://www.move.mil/common/dps_login_registration_process/dps_registration.cfm Plan B would
be to file with the Fort Buchanan Claims Office. We can only process PCA claims for Army
personnel or DoD Civilians in Puerto Rico.

Each branch of service processes its own PCA
claims. Regardless of the route chosen to claim damaged HHG, a claimant MUST provide notice
of damaged or missing items within 75 days of delivery. This may be accomplished by listing
the items at the DPS website or by timely mailing/faxing/e‐mailing DD Forms 1840 and 1840R to
the concerned Transportation Service Provider (TSP). The TSP is the carrier that has
contracted the move with the DoD and which name appears in the General Bill of Lading (GBL).
Normally, the packing and delivery carriers are just subcontractors of the TSP.

However, we assist all Service Members as much as possible with their claim; it is critical
that claimants file completed DD Form 1840R or give notice of lost/damaged items on DPS
website within 75 days of delivery of HHG.Soldiers and DoD Civilians can also file with us service‐connected property claims unrelatedto HHG, such as a coconut falling on POV parked at duty station (on or off post) or on‐post government quarters.

Depreciation Guide is applied to all items claimed on PCA claims.

3. Affirmative Claims ‐ The mission of the Affirmative Claims Branch is to assert claims
against third parties to recover the cost of:

The loss, damage to, or destruction of Army property

Medical costs associated with the treatment of soldiers, retirees, and their respective
family members who – as a result of negligence, products liability, medical malpractice or
other tortious acts – were injured and subsequently treated at a military Medical Treatment
Facility (MTF) or at a civilian hospital that was reimbursed for its costs by DOD’s TRICARE
Management Activity. These are known as “Medical Affirmative Claims” (MAC)

Command Claims Services and Area Claims Offices collect medical and property‐related
affirmative claims under the MAC program. The program is supervised by the Commander, USARCS,
on behalf of TJAG, who has been delegated the responsibility under 10 U.S.C. § 1095, 10
U.S.C. § 1095b, and the Federal Medical Care Recovery Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2651‐2653.

Note that responsibility for collecting health insurance and Medicare supplemental has been
delegated to MEDCOM and regional medical commands in foreign countries, which execute the
Army MAC program.

If you receive medical care paid for by TRICARE, please remember that federal regulations
require beneficiaries to cooperate in any investigation by providing information requested by
affirmative claims personnel to enable them to recover the cost of care from the negligent
party, their insurance company and/or yours. So please cooperate fully with the affirmative
claims team as they investigate the facts surrounding the claim and the costs to the
government associated with it. You’re not just helping them—you’re helping yourself, your
family members, and the entire Army family.

Translation Services

The Office of the Staff Judge Advocate provides translation services of legal documents for eligible
clients. Legal documents submitted for translation must be for official business only and will be
determined if the translation can be provided on a case by case basis. We are located at 214 Brooke
Street. We may be contacted at 787-707-5146 or via e-mail at:Translation Services

Legal Assistance Division

The Legal Assistance office provides notary services, powers of attorney, affidavits, and legal
counsel/orientation services to active duty servicemembers, retirees, and their family members.
The Legal Assistance Office is located at 214 Brooke Street. We may be contacted at
787-707-5138/5147 or via e-mail at:
Legal Assistance

Criminal Law Division

The Criminal Law Division advises commanders and staff concerning all adverse actions against
Soldiers, including non-judicial punishment (Article 15), administrative separations, administrative reprimands,
and courts-martial.
We are located at 214 Brooke Street. We may be contacted at
787-707-5135 or via e-mail at:
Criminal Law Division

Civil/Admin Division

The Administrative
Law Division advises commanders and staff on matters concerning contracting and fiscal law, environmental law, labor law, Ethics,
and general military installation law.
We are located at 214 Brooke Street. We may be contacted at
787-707-5163 or via e-mail at:Civil/Admin Law Division

Ethics

The Fort Buchanan Ethics Couselor, Installation Legal Officce, assists in administering the
Army's worldwide ethics program. The Ethics Counselor can assist you with all ethics matters
in the following subjects areas: standards of ethical conduct; activities with non-federal
entities; outside speaking, teaching, and writing; conficts of interest; political activities;
private organizations an non-federal entities; financial and employment disclosure; post- government
employment; gifts; use of government resources, contact with Defense contractors; procurement
integrity; and ethics training.
We are located at 214 Brooke Street. We may be contacted at
787-707-5163 or via e-mail at:
Ethics

Trial Defense Service

The 154th Legal Support Organization provides defense counsel services to U.S.
Army Reserve Soldiers with a duty station in the eastern United States.

To request counsel please refer to the 154th LSO Portal which can be accessed through
www.jagcnet.army.mil or by using the direct link below:

Department of Defense Warning

This site is provided as a public service by the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Fort Buchanan, PR. This site is intended to
be used by the public for viewing and retrieving information only. Unauthorized attempts to upload or change information on this
service are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986. All information on this site
is considered public information and may be distributed or copied.